If I should stay on Lexapro for years, what could be the long term effect?

Response from Dr. Horwath

Lexapro is a relatively new drug that has not been on the market very long. For this reason, we don't know the long term effects of this drug. However, Lexapro is quite similar in its mechanism of action to other drugs in the class of antidepressants known as SSRIs. Some of these drugs have been available for many years. For example, fluoxetine (Prozac) has the longest history of widespread use, and there is no evidence that I know of that it causes any serious adverse effects from long-term use. In general, the benefits of these drugs for depression and anxiety disorders have far outweighed the adverse effects for most people with these types of illnesses.

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